VSO welcomes report on helping a third of the world’s poor

15/06/2011 12:39:00

VSO has welcomed the International Development Select Committee’s call for the UK Government to provide clarity on how it plans to redirect 50 per cent of its Indian development budget to the private sector and how this will deliver results.

The committee’s The Future of DFID's Programme in India report also recognised the role of civil society in addressing India’s poverty – with the sector currently receiving only two per cent of the budget that the Department for International Development (DFID) allocates to India.

VSO also commended the importance that the committee placed on women and girls in order to address poverty and how discrimination reduced their opportunity to escape poverty.

VSO UK Director Brain Rockliffe said a greater focus was required to get more affluent Indians involved in addressing poverty by engaging in philanthropy and volunteering.

“India has made huge progress when it comes to reducing poverty, but despite this, 40 per cent of its population – half a billion people – currently live in poverty. India accounts for more than 20 per cent of the world’s maternal, child and infant mortality and a third of our global poverty. DFID needs to maintain its commitment to assisting India’s poor, to ensure that its money helps the people that need it most and to ensure transparency and accountability. We welcome the committee’s report and look forward to seeing the Government’s detailed response.”

Editor's notes

Media contact: Rachel Trayner on rachel.trayner@vso.org.uk, 0208 780 7265, 07738982122.

VSO is the leading international development charity that works through volunteers. Since 1958 more than 44,000 volunteers have worked in more than 120 countries. Today there are over 1600 international volunteers working in 44 countries around the world.